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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28641765">Trajectory</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/redtoblack/pseuds/redtoblack'>redtoblack</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Magicians (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Domestic, Multi, Pre-Relationship, uh. sort of.</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 12:42:03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,321</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28641765</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/redtoblack/pseuds/redtoblack</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Margo goes to sleep at night, she doesn’t think about waking up. She’s never been the type to set out clothes for the next day, think about her morning routine, get her shit packed up before going to bed. Don’t get her wrong, she respects the hell outta organized bitches — look at Eliot, he does all that and more every goddamn day and she loves that for him — but she needs to be spontaneous. Where’s the spice in doing something she already knows will happen? She wants to be <em>surprised.</em> Most days don’t manage to reach that lofty goal.</p><p>Today must be trying to make it up to her.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>William "Penny" Adiyodi/Margo Hanson/Alice Quinn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Peaches and Plums Stockings 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Trajectory</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/PanBoleyn/gifts">PanBoleyn</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Some s1 Maliyodi divergence fun :)</p><p>Thank you TheAudity for the beta!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Margo goes to sleep at night, she doesn’t think about waking up. She’s never been the type to set out clothes for the next day, think about her morning routine, get her shit packed up before going to bed. Don’t get her wrong, she respects the hell outta organized bitches — look at Eliot, he does all that and more every goddamn day and she loves that for him — but she needs to be spontaneous. Where’s the spice in doing something she already knows will happen? She wants to be <em>surprised.</em> Most days don’t manage to reach that lofty goal.</p><p>Today must be trying to make it up to her — Margo wakes not with her alarm, but to the sound of kissing, happening somewhere near her face. She frowns and lifts her head, because, the fuck? She would’ve remembered if she had more than one person over last night, and no matter how drunk or high she might have been, they would not have been invited to stay.</p><p>And she <em>definitely</em> had not had Alice and Penny in her bed, holy <em>shit-stickers on a fucking mango.</em>  She freezes, uncomfortably propped up on one shoulder, watching them with half appreciation and half bemusement.</p><p>You know, she can see it, actually. They’re pretty cute together, plus there’s the little fact that they’d forgotten to put up sound wards before revenge-fucking in Quentin’s direction last week, so. Margo isn’t <em>not</em> interested.</p><p>It still didn’t add up, though. Alice was finally back on speaking terms with Quentin, and Margo adores the child but he’s way too petty to let it go that easy. If Alice was actually <em>seeing</em> Penny, she would have heard. Ad nauseum. And she is, no doubt about it. Those are not “I had a great time banging last night” kisses. They aren’t even “ugh I’m so lonely I’m just glad you’ve agreed to make out with me for a while” kisses. They’re too much in each other’s space, wearing far too much fabric, and Margo has way too gorgeous a view of the skill Penny apparently has with his tongue.</p><p>In conclusion: Alice and Penny are (one) dating or somefuck thing, and (two) doing so in Margo’s bed, while she’s sleeping.</p><p><em>Ah.</em> She’s dreaming. This all makes so much more sense if she assumes she’s dreaming. It’s probably just some leftovers from Josh’s new shit she tried last night. She can work with that — it <em>is</em> a damn fine dream.</p><p>She feels herself snuggling down into the covers with a little sigh, not quite in control of her own movements. That’s okay, she’s used to that kind of lucid dreaming, where you can watch but not actually <em>do</em> shit, and her mind has cooked up far worse scenarios than this in the past. There’s still the warm, slick satin against her skin, and a whiff of Alice’s rosemary shower gel that she recognizes from that one time she had to borrow. It’s nice and strong, almost comforting, surrounded by the earthy scent and watching the rumpled blond of Alice’s head move gently back and forth on her pillows.</p><p>Her hand reaches out and trails along the navy blue shine of her pajamas, the curve of her shoulder blade. Anything can happen in dreams, but she’s still a little surprised when Alice blindly reaches back, interlacing their fingers and tugging so Margo’s arm is firmly around her waist.</p><p>So. Maybe we’re not looking at Palice here. Maybe this is a <em>Marpalice</em> dream. Or. Maliny? Pemarlice? Hm. Maliyodi? There we go.</p><p>By the time she’s satisfied with their potential throuple name (Yes, Margo has names for everyone. There is a list.), Margo finds herself wrapped around Alice’s back, chin tucked over the point of her slender shoulder. Penny’s hand is tangled up with both of theirs, and he’s smiling like Margo’s never seen, pleased and sleepy and welcoming, as he stretches up to kiss her. And who knew her imagination had this much to say about Penny, because it’s <em>detailed</em>, not a hand-waved dream sequence of warm pressure and wet tongue. She can feel all of it.</p><p>And she also feels herself smiling into it, a spark of something in her gut that’s not even heat, just goddamn bona fide warmth. Alice is wriggling onto her back, clasping all of their hands to her chest as she just watches Margo and Penny above her.</p><p>Well, shit. She’s gonna get a feelings boner when she wakes up from this.</p><p>It doesn’t seem like anyone’s actually going to fuck, either. But whatever. Dreams are weird like that. Now Margo’s body is ending the kiss with a hard press and some teeth in Penny’s lip, but then she settles down again, legs tangling with Alice’s. And of course, they fit together exactly the way Margo always thought they would, her soft hips nestled perfectly against the curve of Margo’s front.</p><p>If she could have sighed like some lovelorn Disney bitch, she would have. But since she can’t, she just watches as Penny readjusts the covers over the three of them, and — </p><p>Holy shit. What the fucking shit is she <em>on?</em></p><p>The three of them are wearing matching pajamas. Like, bought-as-a-set matching, bought-to-be-worn-together matching, bought-to-show-the-fuck-off <em>matching</em>. She chuckles internally. Everyone is gonna have to hear about this tomorrow.</p><p>“Good morning,” she feels herself say, yawning. Ew, so sweet and domestic.</p><p>“Hi,” Alice sighs, snuggling against her.</p><p>Penny rests his chin on Alice’s shoulder. “How’d you sleep?”</p><p>Oh for tits’ sake, this is <em>inane.</em> And they keep going like that, happy, sleepy chatter until someone’s alarm goes off.</p><p>Margo’s body rolls over to get it, pressing a button on her phone to quiet the — the song that was apparently <em>her</em> alarm, fucking “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls. She rolls her eyes internally. Is she really gonna be stuck watching this lame hallmark shit until she wakes up? There’s no <em>way</em> Margo would ever willingly put that in her ears first thing in the morning. Maybe this isn’t the drugs, maybe it’s all actually some half-assed curse from whoever she kicked out last night. Probably not, though. It’s not — well, there isn’t <em>enough</em> bad about it to be a curse.</p><p>It was only her alarm that had sounded, but her bedmates both get up too, Alice sitting on the edge of her bed and putting on her glasses, Penny coming around the side to kiss Margo before heading for the door. “I’ll make you some toast,” he says, while Margo grins and smacks him on the ass with a “You better” — oh, she’s wanted to do that for <em>ages</em> — and Alice pipes up, “Oh, me too! With bacon!” with a hand adorably raised.</p><p>Margo starts getting dressed, and she’s pleased to see that at least her wardrobe is done right. She turns to catch Alice’s appreciative gaze, and real heat flares in her gut with the image of what that looks like on Alice’s face, on Margo’s bed. “What’ve you got going on today, kitty cat?” she hears herself ask, only a little startled to hear the nickname make an appearance.</p><p>“I’m actually headed off campus this afternoon,” Alice says with a little wrinkle of her nose. “I’d ask if you wanted to come but, I’m visiting my parents.”</p><p>“Oh, totally,” Margo says, like she has any idea what’s up with Alice’s parents. “Why are you going?”</p><p>Pulling off her glasses to rub at her temple, Alice sighs. “They called a few days ago, saying they’re having some party, and insisted I make an appearance. I was going to ignore it, but…” she holds up her phone, scrolled to the top of long spam of messages from a contact titled “Mom :(((.” The gist seems to be, <em>Show up at this party at least for five minutes or we’ll tell the Dean all about how my alumni key went missing.</em></p><p>“God, what a dickhole,” Margo observes, making a face as she moves back to the dresser.</p><p>Alice giggles. “Yeah.” Is that what that would actually sound like? Margo will have to make her laugh more in the future, god, it’s like a fucking <em>bell.</em> “But I’ll be back by dinner,” she promises, running a hand through her hair to smooth it and stepping over to button Margo’s dress shirt.</p><p>“Hmm,” Margo puts her hands on her hips, smile playing at her mouth, “what if they want to keep you?”</p><p>“Well,” Alice leans forward, pressing a quick kiss to her lips. “They can’t.”</p><p>Jesus. Ugh. What the hell is her brain doing.</p><p>Margo steps away to go into the bathroom, and <em>fuck</em> if she has to be stuck in here watching her own morning routine she’s gonna go insane, but luckily Penny steps back through the door. Without knocking, she can’t help but notice. He approaches, carrying two plates from the kitchen — and —</p><p>Penny’s walking through the door, thank goodness, his presence unannounced but welcome, along with the smell of toast and bacon —</p><p>He approaches, a plate balanced on each hand —</p><p>Jesus, Margo is headed towards the bathroom, if she has to sit through her entire morning routine she might blow a gasket —</p><p>Penny’s approaching, handing her a plate of toast with an exaggerated bow and a smile —</p><p>— Margo wakes up.</p><p>Her bed is empty. She looks around, relieved to find her gaze goes where she directs, and when she lifts a hand, it does as it’s told.</p><p>After a moment, the sound of her alarm registers, her usual no-nonsense beeping instead of — ugh — the blast of <em>Yeah I’ll tell you what I want, what I really really want.</em></p><p>She’s in her own pajamas that don’t match with shit except her own tastes, and the only scents on her pillows and sheets belong to her.</p><p>
  <em>So fucking weird.</em>
</p><p>She gets up, realizes halfway through that she’s put on the outfit she was wearing in the dream, but decides to ignore it. It feels weirdly empowering to wash her face and rake some product through her hair and be the one actually doing the action.</p><p>She looks at herself appraisingly in the mirror and declares, “You’re a wacky bitch,” before winking and heading downstairs.</p><p>It isn’t until her lunch break that she catches up with her gaggle of ducklings, sitting down with a bump next to Eliot as Quentin hides inside a novel and Alice, Kady, and Penny take turns trying some illusion work on a textbook. “You are never gonna believe the dream I had last night,” she announces, unbuckling her heels, and all heads turn towards her.</p><p>“So I wake up, and I’m in my bed, right, except that Alice and Penny are in it with me.”</p><p>The two in question groan. Eliot laughs, and Quentin goes back to hiding.</p><p>“I’m serious! It wasn’t like, a morning after thing, either. We were all totally dating. We had <em>matching pwajamas,</em>” she says with a pout.</p><p>“Awww,” Kady coos, matching her pout and patting Penny’s cheek, which he ignores.</p><p>“What the fuck? Did you take something last night?” he asks, eyeing Margo warily.</p><p>“Yeah, something Josh is trying out, but whatever. The point is, it was so domestic it made me wanna puke my guts out,” she says cheerfully. “And it was detailed, there was a ton of shit in there that my brain just made up. I had no idea I thought about you two so much.”</p><p>“Do I wanna know?” Alice asks, exactly as wary as Penny. Really, these two. No faith.</p><p>“Like, you showed me a bunch of texts from your mom, and her contact in your phone had a triple frowny face.”</p><p>She freezes. “It — are you sure?”</p><p>“Yeah, I remember clear as day. I called her a dickhole and you just laughed, it was a great bonding moment.”</p><p>Real Alice cracks a pensive smile. “She is a dickhole,” she agrees, ducking her head.</p><p>“What else...oh, Penny, you made us both breakfast, by the way. It was very sweet of you.”</p><p>He scowls. “No need to sound so surprised. I can be nice like that.”</p><p>“Oh, sure you can,” she says, perfectly on the edge between reassuring and condescending.</p><p>Satisfied with her tale, Margo is prepared to leave it be until Alice catches up with her after lunch en route to the Cottage.</p><p>“You said you saw my contact for my mom? And that it had a whole string of messages?” she checks, no preamble.</p><p>“Yep. Weird detail, right?”</p><p>“Well.” Alice swings in front of her on the path, stopping short. “Maybe not.” Holding up her phone with a look of determination, she scrolls and hands it to Margo. At the top of the screen reads the contact name “Mom :(((,” and the messages are exactly as she remembers from the dream.</p><p>“Is this what you saw?”</p><p>“Yeah, what the hell? Did I go psychic or something on Josh’s new shit? I gotta tell him to tone it down,” Margo says, bemused.</p><p>“Not psychic, or Penny and I would remember too. But I think there’s something to this, and I want to find out what it is. I can’t go today, because I have something to do later —”</p><p>“The party,” Margo says, certain and uncertain.</p><p>“Yeah,” Alice replies, looking decidedly weirded out. “But, um. I’m gonna go to the Treehouse tomorrow morning and see if I can catch Josh before class. If you want to come with me. I’ve asked Penny too, and he said he’ll think about it.”</p><p>“Okay, kitty cat. I’ll be there, let’s figure this shit out.”</p><p>As Alice nods and turns on her heel to hurry to class, Margo smiles a bit. She didn’t balk or roll her eyes at the “kitty cat.”</p><p>If the details of her dream were apparently real — <em>Alice’s rosemary scent, Penny’s gentle tongue, warmth and “good morning”s and the Spice Girls and toast,</em> she remembers — what else might have been?</p><p>“Sentimental minx,” she says thoughtfully, and walks home.</p>
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